LAHORE: Adhering to the order of the Supreme Court, the ruling alliance has proposed the formation of a 10-member parliamentary committee with equal representation from both sides for talks on holding elections across the country on the same date.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has formed a three-member committee for talks with the ruling alliance for elections on the same day.

The thaw in the rigid political scenario takes place following the government’s suggestion of a parliamentary committee to discuss the terms of talks as a Supreme Court deadline for political parties to develop a consensus on an election date looms.

The sources said that Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar and Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique contacted Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani in this regard.

The sources further added that the government has suggested that parliamentary committee should include five members from each of the government and opposition’s side and accommodation should be provided to the committee for holding talks with in the Parliament.

Meanwhile, Sanjrani has written a letter to the opposition to inform it about the government’s suggestions.

In his letter to PTI leader Shehzad Waseem, the Senate chairman said that he had been approached by the ruling coalition to mediate a “political dialogue to address the ongoing political and economic crisis including the holding of general elections.”

“The Senate of Pakistan; House of Federation, being a stabilising factor of the federation is constitutionally bestowed with the responsibility of protecting the national and political harmony vis-a-vis the national and public interest,” he wrote.

Sanjrani added that a 10-member special committee for holding political dialogue is being constituted under the joint convenership of the Leader of the House in the Senate and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and comprising four members each from the treasury and opposition benches.

He further mentioned that his office and the Senate will be available to facilitate the talks. He then asked Waseem to provide, on the PTI’s behalf, the names of four members from the opposition benches, to be made part of the committee in two days.

Earlier, Sanjrani had also contacted PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar and Waseem, sources said.

PTI’s panel

Meanwhile, former prime minister Imran Khan formed a three-member panel for a dialogue with the government over the issue of elections and other relevant matters, The News reported.

The panel comprises PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Vice President Fawad Chaudhry and Senator Barrister Ali Zafar.

It may be noted that the Supreme Court has directed the political parties to hold a dialogue in a bid to reach a consensus on the date of elections in the country, with the government stressing to hold the polls on same day.

The government is expected to inform the apex court about the progress in the implementation of orders, in today’s hearing on pleas seeking simultaneous elections across the country.

On April 4, the three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial had ordered the government to hold polls in Punjab on May 14.

However, after issuing its written verdict in the previous hearing, the court held that its judgment rendered on the case of delay in the elections had already fixed May 14 as the date of election to the Punjab Assembly.